Teen girl, 13, charged in assault on crossing guard, 76

By CINDY SCHARR

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

UPPER DARBY - A 76-year-old crossing guard's life was threatened Tuesday by a rock-wielding assailant who turned out to be a 13-year-old girl.

The young suspect, a Lansdowne resident, approached the crossing guard at about 3:25 p.m. at the intersection of Edmonds Avenue and McCoy Street in Drexel Hill, according to Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood.

The guard, who crosses children from Garretford Elementary School, was finishing up and was leaving her post when she heard someone behind her.

"Get out of my way, I'm going to kill you," the victim recalled the person saying.

When the crossing guard turned to see who was speaking to her, she saw a person she believed to be a young boy, Chitwood said.

"What did you say," the woman asked.

"If you don't move, I'm going to shoot you," was the response, police said. "I have a knife in my pocket."

The victim saw that the suspect was holding a pencil in one hand and a rock in the other. Fearing for her life, she ran to a nearby fenced-in yard to get away. The suspect followed, climbed the fence and attempted to assault the woman, Chitwood said.

A 22-year-old man who lives nearby saw what was happening and interceded.

"The actor tells him she's going to shoot and stab him, then she lunged at the man with the pencil," Chitwood said.

As the crossing guard dialed 911 on her cell phone, the Good Samaritan disarmed the young assailant and held her until police arrived.

When the responding officers attempted to take the suspect into custody, she allegedly began to fight back, resisting arrest. She was wrestled to the ground and handcuffed. It was then the officers discovered the suspect was a 13-year-old girl.

She was taken to police headquarters, where she again began to act up again, Chitwood said.

"We couldn't process her because she was spitting on everyone," he said.

The 13-year-old, who is not being named because of her age, was taken to the Lima Juvenile Detention Center. Police have requested she receive a mental health evaluation.

The crossing guard, who was not physically injured but shaken by the experience, was back to work on Wednesday, Chitwood said.